The Grace Gawler Institute | Grace Gawler Media

Alternative medicines and cancer-Grace Gawler in conversation with Sloan Kettering’s Dr Barrie Cassileth

This week on Navigating the Cancer Maze- Voice America and WorldTalk radio, I am in conversation with Dr Barrie Cassileth founder the Integrative Medicine Service at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York.

Navigating the Cancer Maze: The role of Complementary Therapies in Cancer Care
Grace Gawler in conversation with Memmorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Dr Barrie Cassileth PhD on VoiceAmerica and WorldTalk Radio.
Broadcast times: USA Friday 22 March 2013 from Arizona live at 12 noon.
Saturday 23 March – Australia available after 8 am – listen streaming or download MP3 or download on itunes. Available to listen as a streaming audio anytime after the 29 March
Note: Facebook link is broken on my Voice America Page:

In about 30 minutes from now I will broadcasting from Germany – to Voice America Arizona with a show guest from New York – A truly geographically challenging show today!
This week on Navigating the Cancer Maze I am in conversation with Dr Barrie Cassileth founder the Integrative Medicine Service at theMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, (MSKCC) where she remains the chief, and holds the Laurance S. Rockefeller Chair in Integrative Medicine.

Dr Cassileth has been involved with the psychosocial aspects of cancer care for more than 25 years and also founded the Society for Integrative Oncology, which publishes a medical journal. She has just released a new book, The Complete Guide to Complementary Therapies in Cancer Care. MSKCC’s Integrative Medicine Service’s Web site, www.MSKCC.org offers evidence-based information about herbs, vitamins, and unproved cancer treatments at no charge to professionals and the public.

The Service’s research includes studies to evaluate the ability of specific complementary therapies to reduce important symptoms associated with cancer treatments and the investigation of botanicals for potential antitumor effects.

To listen in to the show – select the link below:
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/68025/navigating-the-cancer-maze-the-role-of-complementary-therapies-in-cancer-care-grace-gawler-in
About Dr Barrie Cassilieth:
Founding President of the International Society for Integrative Oncology and founding Editor-in-Chief of its journal, Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology, Dr Barrie Cassileth has a truly holistic approach and is known as one of oncology’s most ardent advocates for treating the “whole” patient. At MSKCC she has been the principal investigator of many research studies. The Botanical Center investigates immune-modulating botanical supplements by composition, mechanisms of action and clinical value. She has published 158 papers and 60 books and textbook chapters for physicians, patients, and families. A new edition of The Alternative Medicine Handbook is underway, and the second edition of MSKCC’s Herb-Drug Interactions in Oncology is now available. Dr Cassileth has researched and promoted proven complementary therapies used along with mainstream care to improve quality of life and to help sustain healthy survivorship. http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/doctor/barrie-cassileth

Please pass this blog address on to friends and colleagues and especially cancer patients. My Navigating the Cancer Maze internet radio show is free to air and free to download as an MP3. Any questions – contact me: institute@gracegawler.com

The Grace Gawler Institute is a not for profit registered health promotion charity providing access to invaluable information for cancer patients as a value add to conventional care

Spontaneous Remission – Researcher Caryle Hirshberg-Navigating the Cancer Maze Grace Gawler

Spontaneous Remission launched Caryle Hirshberg into the cancer spotlight when it was published in 1993 by the institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). The book filled a gap in research, as before that time there was no standard reference for the field of spontaneous remission

VoiceAmerica and WorldTalk internet Radio Network, announced today that nationally acclaimed author and researcher Caryle Hirshberg will join Grace Gawler, host of Navigating the Cancer Maze radio program on the VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Channel Friday, February 22, at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. Available as a MP3 download at VoiceAmerica anytime or liste to replay – streaming audio. Free sign up to Voice America to download.Download from itunes.

Caryle Hirshberg, M.S author Spontaneous Remission and Remarkable Recovery; pioneer researcher, lecturer joins host Grace Gawler to discuss what was discovered from the research. The topic – Why people Heal – Lessons learned from studies of Spontaneous Remissions

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/67536/navigating-the-cancer-maze-why-people-heal-lessons-learned-from-studies-of-spontaneous-remissions (For resources mentioned in this interview – select “More” icon at end of this story and scroll).

Spontaneous Remission launched Caryle Hirshberg into the cancer spotlight when it was published in 1993 by the institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). The book filled a gap in research, as before that time there was no standard reference for the field of spontaneous remission. Then, in 1994 Remarkable Recovery was published; a book of stories about patient unexplained recoveries. Both book looked at unexplained recoveries from medical literature and although considered a rare phenomena – they were surprised at the number of references they found. It piqued their interest to know more….

Just for a moment, turn back the clock to 1994. Can you imagine the New York Literary Guild’s Lawrence Van Gelder writing in the NY Times that the three hottest books on the horizon were ‘Like Water for Chocolate’, ‘The Horse Whisperer’ and, amazingly a nonfiction work; ‘Remarkable Recovery’ a book that offered scientific evidence that people recover from seemingly terminal illnesses more frequently than is supposed. Hirshberg’s well researched works of science not only captivated cancer patients worldwide but they marked a beginning of an almost cult-like fascination with healing in the public arena.

Caryle Hirshberg, Project Manager at IONS and the late Brendan O’Regan, Vice President of Research at IONS joined forces to create a project that had never been researched before. So was born ‘The Remission Project’ at IONS, California. The task was enormous; to catalogue the world’s medical literature on the subject. This resulted in an assembly of the largest database of medically reported cases of spontaneous remission in the world, with more than 3,500 references from more than 800 journals in 20 different languages.

Caryle Hirshberg will discuss her role in this formative period in American healing history with Grace Gawler. The theme is why people heal from diseases that were deemed incurable. This was a courageous topic to pursue; to study the seemingly miraculous while keeping science and well researched data on track. This was the first time that a research group not only gathered medical data from journals worldwide; but they dared to look at why people recovered and what we might learn from their turnaround to stay well. The book was controversial, inspiring and as well gained attack from some medical corners; yet the material they researched was from medical journals. Like TV’s past science hero, Professor Julius Sumner Miller; Hirshberg and O’Regan were brave enough to ask the fundamental scientific question; ‘Why is it so?’

Select read more to access Resources from todays show Continue reading “Spontaneous Remission – Researcher Caryle Hirshberg-Navigating the Cancer Maze Grace Gawler”

Cancer and the Global Equity Divide: A Call for Action Grace Gawler republished from The Conversation

Published with permission in The Conversation 4 February 2013 – please read & distribute this important information.

Cancer and the Global Equity Divide: A Call for Action.

By Alessandro R Demaio, University of Copenhagen

This article was written by Toni Kuguru, Sebastian Rodríguez Llamazares, Alessandro Demaio and A/Prof Felicia Knaul.

This year more than half of the nearly 13 million new cancer cases diagnosed worldwide and two-thirds of cancer deaths will occur in the world’s low and middle income countries (LMICs). Nearly a third of these deaths could have been prevented with the knowledge and technology already available today. For example, only 10% of children diagnosed with leukemia in the 25 poorest countries of the world will survive compared to 90% of children diagnosed with leukemia in Canada.

The disease burden in developing nations is growing. Caused by an inequity in health, healthcare and resulting disease, the disparities across the cancer care continuum found between rich and poor countries remain largely unaddressed. The cancer divide is the result of these disparities — explained in the report of the Global Task Force on Expanded Access to Cancer Care and Control in Developing Countries-GTF.CCC and in the book Closing the Cancer Divide: An Equity Imperative.

The Cancer Divide

Evidence of this growing burden in LMICs is only beginning to be translated into effective and practical solutions. Traditional rhetoric argues that the challenge of addressing cancer in poor countries is unnecessary, unaffordable, unrealistic, and detracts resources from other more pressing development programs. However, the impending cancer crisis in LMICs remains too large to be ignored. Continue reading “Cancer and the Global Equity Divide: A Call for Action Grace Gawler republished from The Conversation”

Grace Gawler blog – A New Way of Living with Cancer Navigating the Cancer Maze VoiceAmerica WorldTalk Radio

I hope that 2013 is shaping up to be a good year for you. The following information is about my weekly internet radio show Navigating the Cancer Maze. Below you will see an e-card for tomorrows show – Saturday 12 January 2013 (if you are in Australia – listen Saturday morning ) The show airs live every Friday 12 noon USA time (PST) and shows can be downloaded and listened to at no cost. Join VoiceAmerica & WorldTalk radio at no fee and get access to all the shows and the skill and expertise of my 38 years in Cancer supportive care, as well as the skills and experience of many Cancer Health Professionals. If you have any issues relating to cancer that you would like me to address on Navigating the Cancer Maze, please email me at institute@gracegawler.com We have some wonderful guest cancer specialists and celebrities coming up on the show in the next 8 weeks. As a not for profit charity,we are delighted to provide education and awareness to cancer patients worldwide at no cost through this media.
Until next time…. Enjoy the weekend!! Warm Regards…Grace
Here is the subject for tomorrow’s show Select the link below to reach Voice America’s webpage:
Please Listen in and join the many thousands who are enjoying the show each week!

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/66727/navigating-the-cancer-maze-sorting-the-wheat-from-the-chaff-the-often-empty-promise-of-cancer-cures

Professor Ian Haines co author Gawler 'cure' challenge also a survivor – Grace Gawler

Unless you are Melbourne based, you may have missed an amazing story that precedes the publication and release of a medical journal article report that offers a likely hypothesis for the recovery of Ian Gawler – Australia’s most famous recovered cancer patient. The report was reviewed and published recently in the Melbourne Age.
Professor Ian Haines, a co author with Professor Ray Lowenthal, recently turned the worlds of complementary & alternative medicine upside down when they reported that their research unequivocally found that in Ian Gawler’s case evidence of widespread secondary cancer was lacking, suggesting that based on reviewed evidence not previously available, that the patient Ian had advanced tuberculosis mimicking cancer. (supported by past medical literature searches).

Professor Haines recently experienced his own exciting story of survival. The e-published Internal Medicine Journal article may not have had one of its authors alive to discuss the importance of the report to cancer patients because just as Professor Haines was driving out of the Melbourne Cabrini Hospital carpark in late November 2011, on his 57th birthday, he had a cardiac arrest and was clinically dead.
Watch video interview with Professor Haines Channel 7 Melbourne: Click here

Fortunately, Dr Peter Jenkins followed by orderly & CPR expert Jonathon Cooper came to the rescue and in an intense 7 mins effort, Ian was brought back to life – a second chance and a miraculous recovery event. A long time advocate for cancer patients and well published researcher, Professor Haines is now a survivor in his own right. I was thinking about survival yesterday as it was the 10 year anniversary of my own survival when I travelled to the Netherlands to have my “world first” bionic colon implant – a miraculous surgery that saved my life and gave me back life quality. The lower end of my colon had been paralysed – an unexpected post surgical complication following a hysterectomy in Dec 1997. I am eternally grateful to the researcher/colo-rectal surgeon who took a chance and gave me a second chance at life and a return to my career.

Like Professor Haines – if not for modern medicine, neither of us would be here to continue my work and assist those with life challenging illness.

www.gracegawlerinstitute.com E- institute@gracegawler.com

Professor Ian Haines co author Gawler ‘cure’ challenge also a survivor – Grace Gawler

Like Professor Haines – if not for modern medicine, neither of us would be here to continue my work and assist those with life challenging illness.

www.gracegawlerinstitute.com E- institute@gracegawler.com

Why a brave mum said no to chemotherapy – Adelaide Now: Grace Gawler comments

My Institute has found it a challenge to get articles published about the dangers of exclusive use of alternative medicine in treating cancer; an alarming and growing trend in Australia! So when I saw the article “Why a brave mum said no to chemotherapy” in ‘Adelaide Now’ a mainstream newspaper – I was rather shocked. I have seen a lot of ovarian cancer during my career – I am yet to see anyone recover without conventional treatments and complementary approaches combined and I am amazed that anyone would recommend mothers to not have chemotherapy! Today cancer medicine both here and overseas has many excellent treatments for ovarian cancers especially new anitibody treatments. I have supported many women who were smitten with alt/med then faced the hard yards of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I know many long term survivors.

As an educator in cancer medicine and a qualified naturopath working with cancer patients for almost 4 decades… and as one who on a daily basis sees the advantages of the synergy of complementary and conventional medicine versus the disadvantage of cancer patient’s alt med choices – I believe the article and associated blog (mumsnothavingchemo.com) to be highly misleading and a misuse of the author’s position as a journalist.

: Get the facts right for others that follow

I believe in free speech – but free speech must act both ways with right of reply accepted for healthy debate. I became concerned when I wrote a polite and balanced comment below the above mentioned online article in the ‘comments box’. Within minutes of pressing the submit button however – the box had vanished. I then wrote to the editor of the Adelaide paper in a letter to the Editor. Silence! Continue reading “Why a brave mum said no to chemotherapy – Adelaide Now: Grace Gawler comments”

Out on a Limb – Desperate Times call for Desperate Measures Grace Gawler Appeals

The Eagles Syndrome Appeal: Gawler Family Member

It is a tragedy when a family member is ill and requires treatment that cannot sourced locally and needs substantial funds to pay for it overseas. I see this situation often in my practice and understand the difficulties faced by many of my patients; even more so since my own 21 surgical procedures – a personal journey I began in 1997. In 2002 my survival necessitated seeking an overseas solution if I wanted a life. My illness (the result of a complication following routine surgery) devastated my already compromised finances and I found myself in my fifties relaunching my career and owning nothing! Now that my son needs help; I cannot afford his surgery, so I decided that the most creative way of raising funds was through my ‘self-published’ book sales – a win-win for everyone. My son requires life-saving surgery in Los Angeles – delaying his treatment could severely compromise his life – the longer his medical situation is left unattended, the more challenging his surgery will be.

To support this cause – Please visit the Resources/Bookstore page at :
http://gracegawler.com/Institute/?page_id=1892
We are trying to raise $60,000 through book sales
Please send this blog link to friends in your address book….. Together – I sure we can make this happen!

Apologies to regular blog subscribers for my lack of correspondence during the past few months; a personal and imperative family issue has been occupying much of my time – hence the subject of this blog. Trying to raise funds whilst respecting my son’s privacy has not been easy & we have tried many obvious avenues including many requests to his father – all without success. So – as time is ticking by for this beautiful young man – as the heading implies, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Some Background: D lives with me and has done so for 29 out of his 31 years – he entered this world at Yarra Junction, Victoria on a stormy August night in 1980 into a life that held severe health challenges. He remains my greatest teacher. Although D is no stranger to pain, watching his deterioration as he bravely manages the affects of Eagles Syndrome is a distressing daily event and so ironic, given my vocation is helping others. I continue to support in every other way I can. Surgery has a high chance of success, but the longer the condition is left – the greater the risks. D needs some action soon.

As a child, Specialists said D would never be able to hear. As with Ian Gawler, whom I married when he had a 2 week prognosis; harnessing the same tenacity, I doggedly pursued healing options for D utilising the best of complementary and mainstream medicine. D can now hear without aid and he has achieved many amazing things. I am very proud of him.
Following my own recovery, I had been hoping to take a ‘breather’ from health related dramas – but it seems the universe has other ideas! About a year ago D began to be investigated for a stiff neck and jaw clicking.

The outcome – he was diagnosed with Eagles syndrome – a rare condition involving calcification, thickening and lengthening of the styloid process (a pointed piece of bone that extends down from the human skull, just below the ear.) See Xray left. As you can imagine these extended bones create havoc.

A normal styloid process length is approximately 2–3 cm and serves as an anchor point for several muscles associated with the tongue and larynx and other facial structures. Eagles Syndrome is diagnosed if the overall Styloid length in excess of 3 cm. In D’s case both styloid processes are grossly elongated … 6.5 cm and 5 cm! This excessive length has caused havoc with jaw and facial nerves and shoulder spasm; but not only is it painful, the growing styloid processes have already caused severe compression of both jugular veins. Continue reading “Out on a Limb – Desperate Times call for Desperate Measures Grace Gawler Appeals”

Australian Doctor – Grace Gawler comments on Ian Gawler's Cancer Recovery

: 22 October 2010 Gawler Australian Doctor Article

Laptop users – To magnify use control + on your keyboard

Article reprinted from Australian Doctor with permission

For more new evidence about Ian Gawler’s cancer recovery see press media kit

If you, family or friends are seeking authentic information about Integrated Cancer Solutions see Grace’s website

CAUTION: As you may now becoming aware, there are many stories about miraculous cancer cures circulating the internet and bookshops. Cancer support veterans like Grace Gawler, have seen ‘miracle cures’ come and go and sadly most were not valid.

Indeed it has taken Grace decades to correct errors in the Ian Gawler cancer cure story – a story she was involved in 24/7 .

Please fact check and cross check all ‘miracle cure claims’ and do not abandon conventional therapies. Some common cures persist such as MMS, Hydrogen Peroxide, Hulda Clark’s ‘Parasiste Cure’ (It is not widely known she died of cancer) The Gerson Diet and many others.

Pip Cornall

Australian Doctor – Grace Gawler comments on Ian Gawler’s Cancer Recovery

: 22 October 2010 Gawler Australian Doctor Article